All By Myself
by SharksRule567
Summary: Mary Macdonald receives life-changing news regarding her grandmother, and somehow Sirius Black is the one who comes to her rescue.


The owl had come that morning. Professor McGonagall had received it. The owl had pecked at her window relentlessly while she was teaching a class, and the strict professor relented quickly, hoping to return to the lesson. When she read the letter, however, her heart dropped. She quickly left her students, assigning them work to keep busy, and rushed to retrieve the student to whom the letter related.

Mary's morning had been normal. She woke up to same sound of the deep breathing of her roommates still asleep, and the awake ones moving about as they got dressed. Breakfast had been the same as always - delicious. Mary laughed with her friends as she indulged in her meal. It was, by all means, an average day.

Then it happened.

Professor McGonagall strode into the Charms classroom and requested that Mary accompany her. Mary noticed that her Head of House had a solemn look on her face, and her voice was sad, but she paid no attention. She was simply grateful to divert from her daily routine, despite the fact that the lesson was nearly over.

Mary listened as she was given the news. The letter Professor McGonagall had received was handed to her and her hands shook as her eyes scanned over the words.

"No. No. No," Mary said, shaking her head as she looked up at her professor in disbelief. The look on Professor McGonagall's face answered her, and she was reduced to sobs.

Minerva had known Elizabeth. The woman had been just two years above her, and the two played quidditch together. They had been friends. Her grief, she knew, was nothing compared to Mary's. As the classes ended, and students began exiting into the hallway, her maternal nature emerged.

Mary was well aware that nobody was moving. They were looking at her as her body shook from her cries. Her wails were the sound of true heartbreak. Some of the looks were sympathetic, some were curious, some - her friends' - were worried, and some were indifferent and cold. Mary couldn't find it in herself to care that people were looking at her. Professor McGonagall acted quickly on her behalf by commanding everyone to move along. Her friends remained, looking at her as Professor McGonagall wrapped an arm around and whisked her off. They later learned why she had been sobbing. Her last relative and the woman who raised her, her grandmother, had passed.

* * *

He found her sitting in an alcove, just where the map had said she would be. Her arms were tucked around her knees and she was staring blankly out the dark window.

Slowly, he approached her. "Hey," he said. He sat down next to her silently. She didn't acknowledge his presence, but she was well aware of the figure next to her.

They fell into a comfortable, sad silence. They merely listened to the sounds of the other's breathing and stared blankly ahead.

Finally, she let her hands drop and she let her legs drop so she was sitting normally. Her eyes were red and he felt helpless. She threw her arms around him as fresh sobs wracked her body. He was taken by surprise, but he slowly wrapped his arms around her torso.

"I know how you feel, Mary," he said softly. He rested his chin on the top of her head as she cried. "I don't have any family left either. Maybe our circumstances aren't similar - you were still loved, but both of us know how it feels to have no one."

He was speaking softly, recounting his own experiences in an attempt to comfort her. The memories weren't good ones, and it saddened him to dwell on it, no matter how little he let onto that fact.

"My family burned my face out of the family tree, y'know. They were probably counting down the days until they would get the chance to do that.

"You were loved and cherished, so yeah, our circumstances are different; but we're in the same boat, you and I. We don't have any family, but that doesn't mean life is over. My real family is right here at Hogwarts. You can't replace the love, but you can always open your heart to more. Your friends here are your family. Even though you feel so hopelessly alone - believe me, I know - you aren't. You'll never be alone. We are all here for you, Mary."

They sat in silence once more. Her sobs had subsided and slowly her breaths were becoming less and less shaky.

"Thank you, Sirius," Mary sniffed, lifting her head from his chest.

"You're welcome," he said as he smiled warmly at the girl in his arms.

Together, they slowly walked to the common room. He kept his arm around her waist, fearful that at any moment she might be again reduced to tears.

The common room was near empty. The only people left were some fourth years and a small group of fifth years cramming for an exam. The sound of the portrait swinging open echoed off the walls, and each face turned to stare at her.

"Make them stop," Mary whimpered. She wanted to crawl within herself like a turtle and avoid seeing the stares she would be getting from everyone for the next day or two.

"Oi! I think you lot should get to bed now, don't you?" Sirius bellowed. The younger students took one glance at the stern expression on the Marauder's face and quickly scrambled off to their respective dormitory.

Together, Sirius and Mary made their way to an armchair near the fire. It was a somewhat tight squeeze, but they both fit, although her legs had to go over his. He could recall being in his first year and being able to sit side-by-side (albeit barely) with James when the rest of the seats in the common room were unavailable.

He listened to the sounds of her breathing as her head rested against his chest. The breaths were becoming steadier, and that relieved him.

"My grandmum always told me the same thing when I was missing my parents. She would tell me that strength and courage grew from pain and grief. I don't know how that can be true, though. I feel so weak. It feels like my heart was ripped out of my chest. How the hell am I supposed to be strong when I just lost the only person I had left?"

Sirius could feel a new dampness on his shirt and realized Mary was crying again. He raised his hand to her hand and gently stroked her hair.

"I think it's true. The wound is fresh, though." He paused his talking, but continued to stroke her hair. The loose curls were soft in his hands. He leaned in and kissed the top of her head. "There's no way to avoid facing the loss, unless you want to become an alcoholic. None of us will let you, though. Eventually the pain will lessen, and in its place will be a newfound strength."

"You're so smart, Sirius," Mary said in a barely audible voice. It took him by surprise. "Why are you so reluctant to show it to people?"

"That's a story for another day," he murmured into her shoulder as he continue to stroke the curls on her head.

* * *

"Do you still have your muggle camera, Lily?" Marlene McKinnon whispered to her roommate. Lily had been coming down the stairs but stopped as Marlene was standing in her way, blocking the exit.

"Yes, why?"

"Just go get it," Marlene muttered. There was something in her tone that prevented Lily from fighting her further on the subject, so she trotted back to the dormitory and shuffled about her things until she found her camera and film.

"Here it is," Lily said, holding the camera out when she returned. Marlene now had a line consisting of James, Remus, and Peter irritatedly standing behind her.

"C'mon, you lot," Marlene whispered. She stepped into the Common Room, and cautiously walked over so she faced the fireplace.

Soon everyone saw what she had seen. Nestled in a chair by the fire were Sirius and Mary. Mary was in his lap, her face buried his shoulder and his buried her hair. Both of them had their arms wrapped around the other, leaving Marlene viewing it with a smirk.

"Lily, picture," she mouthed, pointing to the pair.

A flash went off, Mary stirred, and Sirius opened his eyes. He looked at his friends looking at him with a variety of expressions. Remus and Lily wore small smiles, as they knew Mary was upset. Peter raised his eyebrows at his friend and smiled a large, lopsided smile. Marlene and James wiggled their brows and made ridiculous faces. Sirius sighed and carefully lifted one of his hands (so as not to wake Mary) and flipped them the bird. Their soft snickers faded away as Lily successfully directed them all to the door.


End file.
